The Teesra

Category: cricket

  • Who’s winning? Duckworth-Lewis-Stern has the answer!

    I have been lucky enough to play in a couple of matches recently where we had two competent (and socially distanced) scorers, using the Play-Cricket scoring software, and at grounds with modern digital scoreboards.

    It was fascinating to watch the Duckworth-Lewis-Stern “par score” throughout the 2nd innings, on both occasions as we successfully defended our own 1st innings scores.

    It was noticeable how closely the DLS par scores matched the players’ perceptions of which team held the “advantage” as the game progressed. A good partnership saw the scoreboard approach the par; a couple of maidens, or (especially) a wicket or two saw the par score race ahead of the batting sides total.

    For us (Seniors, over 60s, many having played the game for 50 years or more — perhaps 1,000 years combined playing experience between us), the DLS par only served to confirm what playing the game for many years had taught us.

    But might the DLS par provide an answer to the perennial question from the cricketing newbie — “who’s winning?”

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  • Batting slumps and other losses of form — what to do next?

    I suspect that most of us who have played cricket for any length of time will have experienced a run of poor scores.

    Often for no apparent reason — not down to any obvious technical failings, or over-confidence, or excessive diffidence.

    That next run can seem a very long way away, as you take guard for another innings.

    But as with any challenge, in sport or in life, a bad run can be the opportunity to re-group, re-define goals, and move on to better things.

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  • That is “over”

    And “good riddance” to 2020.

    Last year was almost a write-off for coaching, for me. A busy 10 weeks pre-lockdown, including a very hopeful day learning to tutor new All Stars and Dynamos Cricket Activators, but nothing else for me since early March.

    I’ve not been shielding, but with my parents both in their 80s to look out for, it makes sense to avoid the risk of infection by giving a wide berth to crowds — schools, and public transport, have been off the schedule.

    One regular coaching venue did manage to re-open for (some of) the autumn term, but (sensibly) their draft Risk Assessment explicitly stated “… staff…requiring difficult journeys on public transport will be kept away…”. No work, there.

    But, to be honest, I really haven’t missed coaching during first lockdown, nor since. The hours spent travelling, carting a kitbag on trains, for just a couple of hours coaching, had become a chore.

    But what to do in 2021?

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